Baylee has rejoined the herd!

A year ago Baylee was diagnosed with white line disease. we have never experienced that here before. She had it in one hoof, and no other horses had it. For the last year, she has not been able to go out with the herd. Recently we have started letting her out during the day and keep her in at night (with a buddy of course). so far so good. She is such a little alpha mare. herding the other mares around. teasing the boys. she is so very pretty. If you have not read her story here, you might want to try to find the time. there are lots of images of her xrays, etc. from month to month. might help you know that white line disease is not necessarily a death sentence. though it can be very very serious and we did get to a really bad point with Baylee Bob and did end up cutting a tendon when there was so much "rotation" that her "toe bones" were nearly poking through the bottom of her foot. sorry for the unscientific writing. of course our veterinarians use the scientific terms. not me though. anyway, Baylee is happy. wish us luck. she does have a little slight limp but it's from the tendon thing, mostly, I think. Our farrier was here Monday. just for a second opinion. didn't really trim much, kind of hesitant to trim too much since she's feeling so good the way she is. We'll check in another month or so.
 Here is a link to her story.

Baylee has rejoined the herd!

record warm temp in SD, fun with friends & horses

On the afternoon of Jan. 5, 2011, it was sort of like summer in South Dakota. well, ok, at least spring! One of my visitors had arrived. on my way out to the barn I witnessed turf wars. it's all harmless. they just act tuff.

Turf wars, Newman and Ralphie (both neutered of course)

My first afternoon visitor was Darci Adams, SD state director for HSUS. It was so nice out, we just had some fun with the horses. And we cleaned up the whole horse yard!

Definite look of determination

Princess appreciated our clean-up work, and she did the right thing.

Darci Adams with Shadow

That's really ok Darci, Shadow makes us all giggle

There's a serious side to Shadow. It is a miracle he is alive.

Beautiful beautiful Bella. catchin' some sun.

Bella with Darci Adams

and if you haven't smiled yet during the day, just go meet Princie!

Moonshine will soon be 31 years old (young)

Moonshine is not a rescued horse, he lived here before we started rescuing.
He's still the pasture boss though, at the young age of 30.

Minerva says, "hurry up Emily, we have to go riding."
translation "come on it's almost grain time, let's get this over with."

gotta get ya buckled up first, girl.

Minerva and Emily are riding buddies. Emily also rides Flicka here.

Emily's dad, Jim, is our groom! He loves cleaning hooves and brushing, etc.

Jim cleaning Lily's hooves. Jim and Emily found us over the Holidays. They saved me! Most of our other volunteers and part-time chore employees left for the Holidays. but Jim and Emily were here many, many days. And Tina, of course, who has been volunteering weekly for more than 3 years, was also here. Thank you volunteers!

at the end of the day, the kitties were night night.

this would be good for Halloween, yes?

Rescued horse helps his new little girl build a snow fort!

Video/slideshow and Photos of Roman helping Alyssa build a snowfort this winter out by Spearfish, South Dakota, where Roman and Rocky are living with Wendy and Matt.
The video will make you smile and smile and smile. And as you watch this, remember that Roman is a horse that our organization saved last year. Because his owners, who first irresponsibly allowed Roman's sire and dam to breed, and then were too lazy to find him a home themselves, so they were going to dump him off at a low-end loose horse sale, where a high percentage of the horses go to slaughter. Just days before the sale, our organization acquired Roman.
Here's a link to the video/slideshow.
how to build a snowfort -- with a horse

and here are some extra photos of the event. Enjoy.

Got Your Back

Grass Down There

Keep Digging

Building Stairs

Our SnowFort. By Alyssa and Roman

intro. to spay neuter gelding program for 2012

We would like to introduce you to our 2012 spay/neuter/castration program. There will be much more information coming on this soon. But you may begin to apply for financial assistance for spay/neuter/castration now! Funding is not available until March, though. So if you have animals that need spay/neuter/castration now, don't wait for us. Just get it done! As soon as possible!
We have limited funding available but will have more throughout the year.
Not everyone who applies will be approved. We are most interested in reducing the reproduction numbers of horses, ponies, donkeys, dogs, and cats; and in assisting other organizations or animal owners who share that goal.

Also, if you would like to donate to our spay/neuter/castration program, so that we can help even more animals, that would be awesome! We are 501c3 (Horse Help Providers, Inc.); donations are tax deductible. You will find donation info. below.

So, here is our initial information. just email us if you have questions. thanks!

Spayngeld (Spangled)
Spay – Neuter – Geld
Dogs – cats – horses (and ponies & donkeys)
Spay & Neuter for dogs and cats; Castration for colts/stallions

Presented by New Hope Horse Shelter, South Dakota

During February we are accepting requests from animal owners, rescue/shelter facilities, veterinarians, etc., for financial assistance with spay and neuter of dogs and cats, and castration of colts/stallions.

Requests will be considered from throughout the United States.

Our first three Spayngeld recipients will be announced on Feb. 29, 2012. And the program will run throughout the year, as funding is available.

To request Spayngeld funding, just write up a little story about the specific animal(s) you would like to help. Examples may be a colt/stallion rescued from starvation, feral cat colony, or a farm who wants to get their cat population under control, puppy mill victims, a veterinarian who would like to help reward a client for being an excellent, responsible animal owner; any rescue organization for dogs, cats, horses, ponies, donkeys (preferably where a cycle of irresponsible breeding has been stopped, or where law enforcement has stepped in to ensure the end of neglect, possibly through seizure/arrest/prosecution, etc). The list of possible situations is endless. These are only a few possibilities.

In your write-up, also include information about future plans for the animal(s), and any other information that explains how special these animals are and how Spayngeld funding will help them. And photos are appreciated too, if possible.

Submit your write-up/request to New Hope Horse Shelter

Email doublehphorses@alliancecom.net
Or USPS to New Hope Horse Shelter, c/o Horse Help Providers, Inc. (DoubleHP), 25337 470 Ave, Crooks, SD  57020.

Please include your name, mailing address, email address, phone numbers, and website address if you have one.

We will begin to review requests on Feb. 20. Early submission may better your chances for selection.

If you have questions or suggestions, please email doublehphorses@alliancecom.net

RE: Spayngeld

If you would like to donate money to our Spayngeld program, that would be awesome! Any amount is very much appreciated and acknowledged (unless you request your donation be anonymous).

To donate, you may send checks to Horse Help Providers, Inc., 25337 470 Ave, Crooks, SD 57020
Or use the donate button at our website www.newhopehorses.org  (try to leave a note re: the Spayngeld program)

We are a 501c3 nonprofit organization. Horse Help Providers, Inc.

and have been operating through volunteers, sponsorships, and donations for more than 10 years!
Throughout the years we have been approved for programs/funding/grants by several national organizations including HSUS/World Spay Day and ASPCA.

We are a legitimate, honest horse rescue/sanctuary.

We have helped hundreds of animals and wish to help hundreds more.

If you have questions or information that requires immediate attention, or would like to deliver a donation in person and meet the animals here and tour our shelter, you may call 605 359-0961. Otherwise, please use our email address. We check it several times a day. doublehphorses@alliancecom.net.

Or USPS to New Hope Horse Shelter, c/o Horse Help Providers, Inc. (DoubleHP), 25337 470 Ave, Crooks SD 57020. Thank you.

Happy New Year from DoubleHP Horses

Thank you to all who helped this year

May 2012 be the year that all horse owners breed responsibly.

(for most of us, that would mean not at all)

No more of these $5 or $50 or even $500 colts.

How in the world is there a profit at that sale price!

Oversupply, you say?

Well, um, pardon me, but horses don't just fall out of the sky.

Don't you think that if there were fewer foals born,

they would all be worth more money?

Please, breed responsibly.

If you truly love horses, you will do your part

to get the overpopulation problem under control.

NOT by slaughtering them.

But by breeding responsibly.

Thank you.

Minerva, our Warrior Horse Goddess

Usually this time of the year I can take the camera out and get some fantastic horses-in-the-snow photos.
Not this year!
Guess we're having a Brown Christmas this year, no matter how long and often we dream of a white one.
Nevertheless, out with the camera I did go.
Boooooooooring!
The horses were all napping (nestled in their beds is how the Xmas Song goes I think).
So, I decided to take some close up photos. haven't done that for a while. kind of like the action shots better. though I do like some of these close-ups I got today. I'll put a couple in here and try to add to it in the next few days. (remember the photos will enlarge when you click on them)

Here's the thing about our Minerva:

We rescued her from starvation as a yearling. Not long after that she and her mama Jasmine appeared as poster children for Unwanted Horses in a national "Unwanted Horse" conference in Washington, D.C., in June 2008. I suppose I somehow gave permission for the photo to be used, through a survey or membership or something. Though I don't remember specifically but I cannot say for sure that I did not either.

here's the link to the online document/presentation from this Forum.

http://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/pubs/FTAAProceedings/unwantedhorseproceedings2008.pdf

On Page 85 you will find our poster children.

here is that photo I still have on my computer.

I took the photo, just a couple of days after we rescued this herd.

wow, they were pretty sad looking, weren't they!

I guess they really did look the part - unwanted.

funny thing is, they really weren't.

Turns out all of the horses from this herd are now excellent riding horses. Well, except for Mama Jasmine, who is now in horsey heaven. What a tough gal Jasmine was though. emaciated, broken hip, could barely walk partly due to no hoof care, her emaciated yearling Minerva right by her side and, in addition to all of this, Jasmine was 3 weeks away from giving birth to another foal, our Hero.

Because they are serioulsy neglected, does that mean necessarily that they also are unwanted?

I don't think so.

I think the term "unwanted" is unecessary.

These horses were neglected, to the point of inhumane treatment, which is a crime.

Seriously! Even in South Dakota, this is against the law.

Let's be placing the blame where it belongs: On the irresponsible owners.

"Unwanted" makes it sound as though it's the horse's fault.

But it's not! It's the owner's fault. And, in this case, as with most of them, the owner was also the breeder.

These were not "unwanted" horses.

They were neglected horses.

They were irresponsibly-bred horses.

That is human error.

Let's start putting these things in prespective.

Quit blaming it on the horses.

The fault lies with the breeder and/or owner.

In any case, we are so happy to have rescued this herd a few years ago. We answered the call for assistance from a nearby animal shelter that is no longer in existence. We were supposed to "assist" them but ended up doing the whole thing, including taking over responsibility for all expenses and placement of the horses. Fortunately, we had several other experienced horse people join us and were able to accomplish this unexpected mission.  

Minerva has grown up to be a fantastic riding horse, a natural "Western Pleasure" prospect who also has some pretty great "Reining Horse" moves. Don't laugh at me. I know some things about Reining, and I have had two trainers confirm this for me.

Well, anyway, we had snow last Christmas.

Here's Minerva a year ago.

Making Snow Angels I think!

You bet she's a poster child.

But it's not for Unwanted Horses anymore.

It's for Warrior Horse Goddesses.

in mythology, Minerva the Roman Goddess was born in an odd way. She burst from her father's brain, already fully grown and wearing warrior attire. In one legend, Minerva the Roman Goddess tells a competitor, "challenge your fellow-mortals as you will, but do NOT compete with a Goddess!

Dec. 13 is National Day of the Horse

In 2004, Congress recognized the first official
National Day of the Horse.

The text of the resolution states:

Encouraging citizens to be mindful of the contribution of horses to the economy, history, and character of the United States and expressing the sense of Congress that a National Day of the Horse should be established. Whereas the horse is a living link to the history of the United States; Whereas, without horses, the economy, history, and character of the United States would be profoundly different; Whereas horses continue to permeate the society of the United States, as witnessed on movie screens, on open land, and in our own backyards; Whereas horses are a vital part of the collective experience of the United States and deserve protection and compassion; Whereas, because of increasing pressure from modern society, wild and domestic horses rely on humans for adequate food, water, and shelter; and Whereas the Congressional Horse Caucus estimates that the horse industry contributes well over $100,000,000,000 each year to the economy of the United States: Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That Congress-- (1) encourages all citizens to be mindful of the contribution of horses to the economy, history, and character of the United States; (2) expresses its sense that a National Day of the Horse should be established in recognition of the importance of horses to the Nation's security, economy, recreation, and heritage; and (3) urges the President to issue a proclamation calling on the people of the United States and interested organizations to observe National Day of the Horse with appropriate programs and activities.

Perhaps if everyone would stop arguing about

whether horses should be classified as pets or livestock,

and just classify them as horses,

America would be a much better Horse Nation.

Horses are NOT PETS as our dogs and cats are.

and horses are NOT LIVESTOCK

the way that cows sheep and pigs are.

HORSES ARE HORSES.

Why is everyone trying so hard to crowd them

into another category where they don't fit.

Just put them in the Horses category.

And treat them right.

And don't breed so many since,
according to everyone, there is already "oversupply."

And support this:

For the Horses.